Mobile device for practising golf ball strokes

ABSTRACT

A mobile device for practising golf ball strokes resting on a base ( 1 ), onto which a cabinet ( 3 ) is attached by means of a mounting ( 2 ), the said cabinet ( 3 ) housing a reel ( 4 ) provided with brake ( 5 ), cord ( 6 ) and switch lever ( 7 ) connected with a control and guiding rod ( 8 ), the said reel ( 4 ) being equipped with a motor ( 9 ) connected to the control unit ( 10 ) incorporating a source ( 11 ) and a display ( 12 ), with the cord ( 6 ) passing at the exit from the ( 3 ) through a sensing ( 13 ) connected with the control unit ( 10 ), with the ball ( 14 ) being attached in a rotary manner at the end of the cord ( 6 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a portable device with an automatedreturn of the ball designed for practising golf ball strokes in alimited space of various terrains as well as outside golf courses.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] The present golf stroke training and teaching methods permit asimple practice of ball shots using common means outside golf coursesonly to a limited extent and with low efficiency. For economic reasonspractice balls of unsuitable properties are used and the balls, afterhaving been shot off, must be sought out and collected for a repeateduse. Time and material losses involved in this method are evident. Inaddition, only separate strokes can be practised in this way whilecomplex play situations must be practised directly in golf coursesoutside the driving range, which is not easy to do for amateurs.

NATURE OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The above shortcomings and disadvantages of the means forpractising golf ball shots known till now are eliminated by a mobiledevice for practising golf ball strokes according to this invention. Thenature of the invention can be described as follows: the device rests ona base onto which a cabinet is attached by means of a mounting. Thecabinet houses a reel provided with brake, cord and switch leverconnected with a control and guiding rod. The reel is equipped with amotor connected to a control unit incorporating a source and a display,with the cord at the exit from the cabinet passing through a sensingunit connected with the control unit, and a ball being attached in arotary manner at the end of the cord.

[0004] Advantageously, the device for practising golf ball strokesaccording to this invention has a ball containing a sleeve, throughwhich the cord passes ending with a spherical stop having a diameterexceeding the inside diameter of the sleeve.

[0005] The reel motor control of the device according to this inventioncan be provided with a direct or a remote controller.

[0006] Advantageously, the device according to this invention can bemounted on the base by means of a ball joint with the upper surface ofthe cabinet being provided with a cross level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Embodiment of the device for practising golf ball strokes isillustrated in the attached drawing, of which:

[0008] FIG 1 shows a diagram of the device in elevation and

[0009]FIG. 2 shows a design of the ball with the cord and the sleeve(cross-section).

INVENTION EMBODIMENT

[0010] From the enclosed drawing (FIG. 1) it is apparent that theillustrated device rests on a base 1, onto which a cabinet 3 is attachedby means of a mounting 2,—a ball joint here. The cabinet 3 houses a reel4 provided with brake 5, cord 6 and switch lever 7. For service, theswitch lever 7 is connected with a control and guiding rod 8. In orderto enable wind-up of the cord 6 the reel 4 is equipped with a motor 9connected to the control unit 10, which is provided with a source 11 anda display 12. At the exit from the cabinet 3, the cord 6 passes througha sensing unit 13, which is connected to the control unit 10. At the endof the cord 6 a ball 14 is attached in a fashion allowing rotation ofthe ball 14. The ball contains a sleeve 15, through which the cord 6passes ending with a spherical stop 16 having a diameter exceeding theinside diameter of the sleeve 15. A controller 17 connected to thecontrol of motor 9 of the reel 4 serves for manual control of return ofthe ball 14. The direct controller 17 can be connected with a guidingand control rod 8. The upper surface of the cabinet 3 is provided with across-level 18.

[0011] At the stroke of the ball 14 also the cord 6 is set to motionwith the cord 6 unwinding freely from the reel 4 during the flight ofthe ball 14. The unwinding is made possible by moving the control andguiding rod 8 from the left (illustrated with a solid line in FIG. 1) tothe right (illustrated with a dashed line) and by making a correspondingchange in the position of the switch lever 7. However, the returnmovement of the control and guiding rod 8 to the left made prior to astroke of the ball takes place without the change in the position of theswitch lever 7. Movement of the cord 6 through the sensing unit 13actuates, via the control unit 10, the motor 9 driving the reel 4. Whenthe set distance—the flight path of the ball 14—length of the unwoundsection of the cord 6—has been reached the control unit 10 actuates thebrake 5, which can be set to the strength of the cord 6 to preventrupture of the cord by slippage. After the ball 14 has stopped, thecontrol unit 10 releases the brake 5, changes the position of the switchlever 7 by means of the motor 9 and starts to wind up the cord 6 ontothe reel 4. This will cause an automatic return of the ball 14 to thecontrol and guiding rod 8, which will move to the position on the right(depicted with a dashed line in FIG. 1) and switch off the motor 9 whenthe end position of the ball 14 has been reached while releasingsimultaneously the reel 4 with wound-up cord 6 for further stroke usingthe switch lever 7. The control and guiding rod 8 is returned to theposition on the left (illustrated with the solid line in FIG. 1) causingno return movement of the switch lever 7. The return movement isinitiated by the control unit 10 only prior to new wind-up of the cord 6onto the reel 4.

[0012] The sensing unit 13 records movement of the cord 6 and based onthe parameters obtained the control unit 10 determines the anticipateddistance of the flight of the ball 14 in real conditions, which means atunshortened flight path. Then this flight path of the ball 14 includingstatistics of strokes with respect to the number and kind of the golfclub selected is shown on the display 12 of the training device. Fromthe measurement and evaluated data the control unit 10 then also obtainsfurther interesting information such as speed course of the ball 14 orother above standard information, depending on the software used. Also,the final position of the ball 14 after the cord 6 is fully wound up canbe affected directly by earlier termination of winding and placing theball 14 directly into the position for further stroke, which can beachieved by the software used.

[0013] The main advantage of the device for practising golf ball shotsaccording to the present invention is the possibility to practise golfstrokes in limited conditions, in various, even less suitable orpublicly accessible terrains including water expanses. This eliminatesthe main difficulty in teaching golf game, namely unavailability ofsuitable practice conditions and terrain and high practising costs. Agreat advantage in terms of both time and economy is the automaticreturn of the ball. Therefore, a standard golf ball of a correspondingquality can be used. The cord of a minimum cross-section unwound freelyfrom the reel permitting rotation of the ball will affect, with respectto other acting forces, the ball flight path very little only. Thedisplay of the ball flight trajectory in real conditions is asignificant advantage of the device according to the present invention.A major advantage for user is also a low weight and easy handling of thedevice.

1. A mobile device for practising golf ball strokes equipped with a ball(14) attached to a cord (6) with a sensing unit (13) wound on a reel (4)equipped with motor (9), brake (5) and switch lever (7), characterizedin that a cabinet (3) is attached adjustably through a ball joint (2)onto a base (1), the upper surface of the said cabinet (3) beingprovided advantageously with a cross level (18), and further that thesaid ball (14) is attached in a rotary manner to the undivided cord (6)passing through a sleeve (15) incorporated in the said ball (14), thesaid cord (6) being terminated with a spherical stop (16), and furtherthat a display (12) for displaying path and place of landing of the saidball (14) or the ball velocity and other stroke parameters recorded orevaluated by a control unit (10) is connected with the said control unit(10) incorporating a source (11), the said control unit being intendedto ensure an automatic return of the ball (14), and further that thesaid switch lever (7) of the said reel (4) is provided with a controland guiding rod (8) and the control of the said motor (9) of the saidreel (4) is equipped with a direct controller (17).